Sunday, October 31, 2010

Lowen and I decided on what we were going to be for Halloween way back at the end of August, but then didn't actually start working on our costumes until October 28th.

Here's our inspiration:

Here's the story of how our costumes came together. We started out by collecting boxes from Costco. Just another reason why I love Costco!

On Thursday night we went to Walmart to see what kind of things we could find for the little knobbies on the blocks. We ended up deciding on Gladware containers. They weren't exactly the right shape, but they were the best size for what we needed. We also bought some tiny cups to use for Cleo's costume. She wasn't invited to any parties, but still wanted a costume so she could feel like a part of the family. Anyway, back to Walmart..... We bought some spray paint as well in our desired colors (Lowen - Red, Esther - Green) as well as some contact cement. The rest of the evening was spent cutting holes into the boxes and gluing on the knobbies.

Friday afternoon and evening was spent putting a couple coats of spray paint on them. Lowen was kind enough to do all the painting; spray paint scares me. We had to put several coats on them because the paint we bought was cheap and the boxes soaked it up. I even had to make another run to Walmart to buy another can of each color.

Lowen's fingers hurt for a few days after all that spray painting. :(

We got to wear them to 2 parties, and they were a huge hit at both parties! They were a lot of fun to make and to wear!

Not only were they stylish and comfortable, but they were practical as well. They doubled as a handy drink/food table so I didn't have to always have my hands full.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

It was a phenomenal show!! We saw 3 crazy bendy ladies who looked like they were made of rubber; a unicyclist who could lift up a girl and twirl her around while riding around the stage; tight rope walkers who jumped rope and rode bikes on a tiny wire waaaay up high; a lady who could spin 7 hoola hoops at once from her ankles, waist, and wrists; a man who could balance in seemingly impossible positions on top of a tower of chairs; and a pickpocket who stole a guy's tie without him even knowing. My favorite part was the two guys on the Wheel of Death.

I sat on the edge of my seat through the whole act with my mouth hanging open. Just when I thought they had done their craziest, most dangerous stunt, they did something even more crazy dangerous. They seemed fearless as they ran around those wheels jumping and flying through the air.

The music was fantastic as well, and was perfectly matched to the acts that were happening on stage. Some of the parts were performed by a live band with a live singer, which added to the excitement of the show.

The 3 hour show passed by in no time, and was one of the most exciting evenings I've had!

The cherry on the top was the water. I went to the concession to buy water bottles for mom and I, and was shocked to see they were $6 each! I was pleasantly surprised when the cashier handed me 2 nice, aluminum water bottles with Cirque du Soleil written on them. What a nice souvenir!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A few weeks ago I finished an afghan I've been working on since the beginning of September. This one was nice and quick, and the bulky yarn made it nice and cozy. This color is my absolute favorite right now, and I am a little sad to have to give it up! But it's going to a good home as a wedding gift, so that makes it a little easier to say good bye...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

I entered the Statoil Baking Contest last year, and was confident that I would win. If you know anything about me, you know that I tend to throw myself into whatever I'm doing and give it my all. I also don't lose... at least not very well.

My plan was to make mini triple chocolate bundt cakes with chocolate ganache icing. For the occasion, I went out and bought a mini bundt pan similar to the one on the left. I baked the cakes a few days in advance, since they tend to taste better and are richer and more moist and dense after sitting for a few days. Just a few minutes before the competition was to start, I drizzled them with the ganache, sprinkled them with a light dusting of icing sugar, and garnished them with Ovation sticks.

Unfortunately I didn't think to take a good picture of them, but a coworker took one with her phone:

When I arrived at the contest location, I eyed up my competition and felt confident that mine would taste the best and look the nicest. The judges did their judging based on presentation and taste, and then announced the results. I was shocked when they announced that I had placed second. Second?!? WHAT?!? I went in to the contest fully expecting to easily receive first and I got second. I'm a very competitive person and I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so it took all I had to pretend be happy for the winner and not let it show how disappointed I was. The fellow who organized the contest was the one who ended up winning, and I figure he must have bribed the judges or something. At least that's the story I'm sticking to....

So, needless to say, my immense failure last year has made me even more intent on winning this year. I need to go above and beyond what I did last year and make something truly spectacular. I've already started to develop some ideas in my head and have done a bit of looking around for supplies and inspiration.

Without giving too much away, I was thinking along the lines of something like this:

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A couple of weeks ago Lowen and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful colors and warm weather and go out to Kananaskis to see the sights and take some pictures. After we took the turn off to Kananaskis we realized that the majority of the trees were coniferous and weren't changing colors. But we still found a few yellow and red trees and had a good time.

Then a few days later we went out on a Sunday afternoon with our bikes. We rode our bikes from close to the Kananaskis Village to a little pond.

Monday, October 4, 2010

This one I ordered from the Mary Maxim catalog a few weeks ago and was thrilled when it finally arrived in the mail! It was a fairly easy project, just time consuming and detailed. Here are some pictures:

Welcome!

Hello! My name is Esther and I live in Calgary. I am married to a wonderful man named Lowen, and we have a crazy cat named Cleo. In my spare time I like to crochet, hike, bake, ski, travel, and spend time with family and friends. Here's some of what's been keeping me busy....